


Two Rocks, Two Blades

by GlitterSkullFairy



Series: Prompts for Smiles [7]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, BAMF Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), Demon Blades, Descriptions of Violence referenced but not shown in canon, First Time, Fuckuary, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, LuciferLockDown, Multi, Pre-Canon, PromptSmiles, Smut, Vaginal Sex, roman slaves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:34:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterSkullFairy/pseuds/GlitterSkullFairy
Summary: Maze's life in Hell was not easy, but she held onto it.Then one day the King of Hell notices her and things change.A visit to earth changes things even more.
Relationships: Lucifer/Original Character(s), Mazikeen/Original Characters
Series: Prompts for Smiles [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831924
Comments: 12
Kudos: 23





	Two Rocks, Two Blades

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kymera219](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kymera219/gifts).



> Content warning- scenes in Rome, with slaves. Everything that happens here is consensual, but there are suggestions that it isn't so in other parts of the slaves' lives.
> 
> I had the idea for this eons ago, back at the beginning of lockdown, but my mind has been all over the place with other things. Kymera219 asked for “An origin story on Maze's knives and why they look like angel feathers” on the Prompts for Smiles Twitter project. Well, this is that. With added sex, because, um, it’s me and that’s how I roll.

Mazikeen had a nook, squeezed between the huge stone pillars, where she could shelter from the ever-falling ash. She huddled there with her two rocks, sharpening one against the other, waiting. They would find her soon, and there would be blood. That was the plan, anyway. There was just enough space to manoeuvre at the entrance to her den, and the hordes of Hell would have to face her one at a time. It would be easy.

When she was born, they all thought she would be weak. Her form was too human- no claws or spiked tail, or chitinous armour. She soon proved them wrong. From then on, she was a favourite target among her siblings. It pleased her. She loved the thrill of combat, and she was good at it. She was strong, and cunning too. She knew when to fight and when to fall back and regroup- figuratively, of course, because she always fought alone. This was one of those times.

She had gone to play with Abel- always a favourite. You don't forget your first. The demons weren't supposed to fight each other in the cells, it could interfere with the torture. But as she approached the door, she could hear voices outside. Demons weren't exactly subtle by nature, and even the whispers of these two dumbasses carried. They were planning to ambush her. If there were enough of them, they said, they'd be able to take her down.

She laughed at that, threw open the door and sent them both flying. Then she went to her nook to prepare.

She heard them coming and took position, legs wide for balance, sharp rock in one hand, her other clenched in a fist. They came all once, roaring and hissing and spitting, jostling each other in an attempt to get to her first. It was almost too easy.

Almost. But still fun. She dispatched the first three before they even landed a blow, but after that the rest seemed to learn their lesson and displayed a bit more caution. She blocked and parried, corpses piling up around her. The other demons had to start dragging their companions out of the way to get to her, their clawed feet sliding in the blood. Sometimes someone got a lucky shot in, tearing slashes across her skin, raising dark bruises on her face, but she took the pain, used it to fuel her rage.

A dozen dead by her hand. Two dozen. She counted forty-four when a commanding voice roared loud enough to be heard easily over the melee.

"Enough!"

Everyone stopped. The hordes parted and the King approached, lifting the hem of his garment just enough to keep it out of the spilt gore.

Mazikeen stood panting, dripping with blood and ichor, and grinning broadly. 

"Keep this up, and I won't have any staff left," Lucifer said lightly. "I've been watching you. From my throne. I was waiting to see how long you'd last, but I'm starting to wonder if I'll run out of demons before you so much as fall over."

"They think I'm weak," she spat.

"Well," he sighed. "Clearly they're wrong. Fancy a change of scenery? Maybe they'll reconsider their perspective when they see I've chosen you to remain at my side."

"You mean like… what do you mean?"

"As my bodyguard- not that my body needs much guarding. My personal dispenser of justice, perhaps. Ah, I know. Chief torturer. How does that sound?"

She nodded once, her chin jutting up and down. "Sounds awesome."

"Very well. Follow me."

Mazikeen grinned. "Always."

***

It was a good job. She got her pick of the cells, so she could choose whatever she desired each day. Sometimes that meant drawing out the screams with care and artistry, other times just beating the crap out whoever she stumbled upon first. She learned how to adjust the loops, delving deeper into guilt and fear to find their worst nightmares, how to lull souls into a false hope, just so that they were all the more satisfying to crush again.

But she was also Lucifer's right hand. If a demon got lazy, or started getting ideas about their station, it was Mazikeen who got to deal out the punishment. She took great pleasure in disemboweling them slowly, or flaying them piece by piece. 

Lucifer watched and smiled, seeing the way it made her groan and writhe with desire. 

"Walk with me," he said one day. "I have something to show you."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

They walked a long way, through a labyrinth of pillars to a place she'd never been, at the edge of the realm. There was a huge gate, made of twisted bones- nothing human, they were far too large for that. Dinosaur, maybe. Or some other behemoth. He touched the latch and they swung open. When he stepped through, his wings unfurled. 

Huge, bright, and holy, they hurt Mazikeen's eyes, and she couldn't look away. He was so beautiful. 

Lucifer turned to her and held out his hand.

She stepped out of Hell.

***

They stopped at a bathhouse first, where Lucifer bribed and tempted the host to let Mazikeen join him in the men's set of rooms. She had seen this kind of thing in some of the Hell loops, so she had an idea of how it went. They took a seat in the apodyterium where the two slaves Lucifer had hired removed their ash and blood stained clothes and set them aside.

Mazikeen stopped to look at Lucifer's naked form. He appeared almost entirely human, except perhaps that he was more beautiful. None of the demons questioned his strength. None of them questioned her strength these days either- and those few that did soon learned otherwise.

She followed him through to a second room. "This is the tepidarium," he explained. "Usually folks wait here to acclimatise themselves to the heat, but I hardly think that's necessary in our case. We'll proceed straight through to the caldarium. You'll like it there."

She did. The mosaics on the floor were fascinating, and the heat rising up through them felt like home. She followed Lucifer's lead and took a seat. The slave, girded in a loin cloth, poured something from a bottle into his hand, and reached for her. Maze flinched and moved back, hissing.

"It's all right, Mazikeen. He won't harm you. Look." He held up his arm, and she watched the slave attending him rub oil over it.

Another short nod, and she held up her own arm, fist clenched. The slave touched her. It felt good. The only time she'd ever been touched before was when someone was trying to hurt her, or she was hurting them. This felt… strange in a way she didn't have words for.

The oil smelt good too. It slid over her skin like blood. The touch gave her a warm, tingly feeling, like after a good kill. 

"Now Mazikeen, I need you to understand something very important. This place isn't like home. Here on earth, any damage that you do will be permanent. There are no loops, so if something or _someone_ breaks, there's no reset to put them back together. Do you understand?"

"Stuff stays broken. I get it. Does that mean I'm not allowed to break anything?"

"Only in the right circumstances. But trust me, you'll enjoy yourself far more if you can restrain yourself. Living humans can be a lot of fun. There are all kinds of pleasurable experiences to be had."

"Pleasurable," she said slowly, trying out how the new word tasted in her mouth. Yes, that was a good word for this new feeling. The slave's hands ran over her arms, then her shoulders and neck. She felt her body melting into a deeper state of relaxation than she had ever known. Part of her instinct told her it was a trap, but then again, if Lucifer thought it was safe, then she believed him. 

That was the eerie thing about him. He always told the truth. Demons lied, human souls lied, but with Lucifer, whatever thing he said turned out to be real, every time. So she let herself feel, enjoy, experience. By the time her entire body was covered, she was breathing hard, wanting… something. And then the slave took a strange tool, and scraped the oil and ash and everything else away.

Her skin felt raw, alive.

"What's your name?" Lucifer asked the young man helping him.

"Our names are not important," he replied. 

"Of course they are. How else am I going to reward you for taking care of me and my friend so well?"

"It's not us who get rewarded, sir," he said, scraping and flicking more oil away.

Lucifer grabbed his wrist and looked straight at him. "There's more than one way to reward you. There must be something you want, some little desire that I can fulfill for you."

The man opened his mouth, closed it, then said, all in a rush, "The desires of slaves remain hidden. We dare not even speak of them."

Lucifer pulled him in closer, so he was standing between his knees. He cupped his cheek and gazed at him with a look Mazikeen had never seen before. "My poor dear, what have they done to you? It's alright. I won't tell a soul. You can trust me. Now tell me, what do you truly desire?"

"I want to trade places with my master, to be the one giving orders and taking whatever I choose. But even you cannot grant such a thing."

"Perhaps not. But I could give you a taste of it. I shall call you Primus. Your companion here will be Secundus. For today, you may both join us in the water, if you wish. We can have much more fun, that way."

Primus lowered his eyes. "Whatever you say, Master."

"None of that," Lucifer tutted. "You're Primus now. You can do and say whatever you wish."

"Fuck you," he said decidedly, clearly testing. 

"That's more like it. Fancy a dip?"

"You just want me to play along with your little game, and when you're bored you'll just take me for your pleasure like everyone else. I heard you bartering, you paid extra for certain favours."

Lucifer's lips slowly upward. "Indeed. But if I've made you Primus, who do you think will be taking whom?"

"You'd let me…" he licked his lips. 

"We've got plenty of oil. And I've made sure no one will disturb us for quite some time."

"Why?"

"Because it's in my nature to give people what they truly desire, but I don't often get the opportunity in my usual line of work. By indulging you, I'm indulging myself."

"You are… remarkably beautiful."

"I know. So, shall we go for a swim first, or do you want to take your pleasure right now?"

"Swim," Primus said, shedding his garment. "I want to enjoy the knowledge that you're going to be mine for a while."

"Anticipation is a wonderful thing," Lucifer agreed with an approving look. They stepped towards the steaming pool. "Mazikeen, Secundus, will you be joining us?"

"Sure," she said, and lowered herself into the water. It felt amazing. Her skin was lighting up with that pleasurable feeling, and her body felt light.

"Just remember not to try to breath if you put your head underwater," Lucifer advised.

"She's never been to the baths, before, has she?" Primus asked.

"She's never been anywhere. She's had a very unusual kind of life, from your perspective."

"Is she…? I mean, has she ever… you know?"

"I don't believe she has."

"What the Hell are you talking about?" Mazikeen demanded.

"Sex, darling."

She scoffed. "Sex is a waste of time. Have you seen them in the cells? They spend all their time chasing after someone, and it never ends well."

"That's because it's Hell, Maze. You'll find things turn out quite differently here."

"If it's anything like my siblings rutting and breeding, I don't want to know."

"It's not exactly that, either. Secundus, you're being remarkably quiet. Have you ever had the pleasure?"

Secundus sat on the edge of the pool, gazing down at his feet in the water. "I have, but I should not speak of it."

Lucifer swam over to him, placing his hands upon his knees. "Does your master make use of you too?"

"Not the master."

"The mistress, then? Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"She said if I told anyone-"

"Shhh, don't fret." His fingers wandered further up the man's thighs, making him gasp. "I can see you're worried. But you have nothing to fear from us."

He was interrupted by a scoff from Mazikeen, and gave her a commanding look. "That's not why we're here. Tell me, what would you like us to do for you? What do you desire?"

Secundus swallowed. "She always sends me away when she's had enough. I work diligently to bring her pleasure, but my own pleasure must be taken afterwards, when I'm alone. I want to be able to finish what I start. Even if it's just once."

"I see. I trust you'll be able to leave her just as satisfied?"

Secundus smiled, glancing at Mazikeen. "As I say, I have learned to work diligently."

"For her, I'll expect no less."

"What, are you pimping me out, now?" she demanded. 

"I would never expect you to do anything you have no desire to do, Maze. But if you let this fine young man be your guide, I'm quite certain you'll enjoy yourself immensely."

Secundus swallowed. "She's really a virgin?"

"So what if I am?"

"It would be a great honour if you were to bestow such a gift upon me, my lady."

"I'll think about it," she said. "Right now, I just wanna enjoy the pool."

She did so, never tiring of the warmth and the way she floated. The conversation had left her tense, ready to fight again, but as she moved in the water she found herself relaxing once more. After a while, she noticed Lucifer and Primus getting closer and closer together, until Lucifer was leaning back at the side of the pool and Primus braced an arm either side of his head. She watched in fascination as their faces moved closer together, their lips touched, and mouths opened.

It wasn't anything like what happened in Hell. She couldn't explain the difference, but it was there, on the edge of what she knew and understood. Lucifer's hands moved under the water and Primus moaned into his mouth.

She moved closer to Secundus. "What are they doing?" 

"Kissing. Touching. Getting ready to fuck."

Slowly, entranced, she made her way over to where the two of them were entwined. Primus moved his lips to Lucifer's neck, one hand going back under the water. It was clear enough to see where they were both touching- chests, thighs, hips and cocks. Primus rested between Lucifer's legs, and the two of them started rocking against each other, making waves lap at the water's edge. 

Lucifer looked up at her. He was breathing hard. "Like what you see?"

She nodded silently. 

"Feel free to watch. You might find it enlightening."

She couldn't look away. There was a passion to what they did that reminded her of torture, except that both of them seemed to be enjoying it very much. She felt her skin grow warm, and another warmth spread from low in her body.

Primus pressed his forehead to Lucifer's, both of them panting. "That's enough anticipation. Go get the oil."

"Yes sir," Lucifer smiled, and lifted himself out of the pool, sheets of water cascading from his body.

His cock was sticking straight up, Maze noted. It hadn't been like that before.

Primus made a deep growling noise and followed him, catching up with him at the bench. He groaned again as Lucifer slathered his cock with oil, and then wiped his dripping hand over his own arse.

"So, my dear Primus, how would you like me? Bent over? On my knees? On my back?"

"Ungh. All of them."

Lucifer got on all fours and Primus knelt behind him. Maze folded her arms on the side of the pool and leaned her chin on them to watch. She saw the blissful expression on both their faces as Primus took hold of his cock and pushed it inside. And then they started moving. Not the desperate rutting like when the demons joined. Just slow. Pleasurable. 

Secundus approached her. "My lady."

"Yeah?" she said, without turning away from the show.

"I desire to touch you."

Her breath caught as she remembered how it felt when he rubbed her with oil. "Sounds good."

His fingertips were gentle, tracing intricate patterns over her skin. She felt herself melting under his ministrations once more. Then, when she was starting to feel like a pile of gooey entrails, he pressed his lips to her shoulder. She gasped at the pleasure of it.

"Do my kisses please you?" he asked gently.

"Yeah. Do more of that."

It felt wonderful. Lucifer and Primus were getting louder in their activities, Lucifer assuring his partner he could take it as hard as he liked. He moaned as Primus accepted the challenge, plunging into him repeatedly with great vigour. It was marvellous to see. The King of Hell, on his knees, giving himself freely to a human slave. And apparently, enjoying every moment of it.

She lifted her head to look at Secundus. "Do you want to do it like that? With me?"

"Not quite like that, no," he said, taking her hand and putting her fingertips to his lips. "I would much prefer to have you on your back, with your arms and legs wrapped all around me." 

She pushed two fingers into his mouth. "And you'd put your cock inside me?"

He held her gaze, the question hovering between them while he sucked. She withdrew enough to let him answer. "I would. Our bodies moving and grinding together. I would make you my queen for a time."

"Kiss me."

He leaned forward and brushed his lips to hers in a touch more soft than she'd ever known. His mouth was soft, the barest hint of stubble on his cheek, but she could feel a strength in him when she grabbed his upper arm and pulled him closer. He added pressure incrementally as the length of their bodies fell into alignment. Then his mouth opened, his tongue swiping gently over hers. She resisted the urge to bite it off, and settled instead for pushing her own into his mouth hungrily to claim him.

His response was quick and enthusiastic, one hand behind her neck and the other in the small of her back, both pulling her in tight.

It was a while before she let him go enough to speak, and his hands wandered and explored, discovering she liked pinches and scratches as much as tender caresses. Eventually they broke apart, gasping, lips plump and vibrant from use.

"You don't kiss like a virgin," he said with a smile. 

She smirked. "Yeah, well, you're making me… hungry." She turned and glanced at the other two. Lucifer was on his back with Primus kneeling between his raised legs, thrusting into him hard enough to hear their skin slapping together. They were both getting rather vocal.

Secundus followed her gaze. "You like watching them, don't you? Why don't you take a seat on the edge there, and you can watch them go at it while I do something to make you feel extra special?"

"What kind of something?"

He gestured to a place from which she could get a clear view. "It's better to show than to tell."

She went over and pushed herself up onto the side. Secundus parted her legs and began kissing up the inside of her thighs.

"What are you- oh! Hell, yeah!"

It was almost as good as torture, and it kept getting better. He did things with his tongue that made her moan and writhe. She grasped a handful of his hair and pushed her hips on his face, and he sucked and twirled and kept her squirming uncontrollably. She loved it. It made her want… something. And the need was growing more urgent.

Lucifer was on his feet again, bent forward and leaning on a column. Primus was holding his hips and pounding into him quickly from behind. Then his face changed, screwing up like he was in agony. 

"I'm so close!" he gasped.

"Do it," Lucifer groaned. "Take your pleasure. Give in to desire."

Primus cried out, giving a few last erratic thrusts, and his whole body tensed. Mazikeen felt a similar tightness overwhelm her, and as he gave one last push and groan she felt it snap. It was sharp and sudden, and it made her muscles jolt. Secundus swept his tongue between her legs and she bucked once more, deciding that this too was a pleasurable sensation. He looked up at her, and did it one last time. She shuddered. He raised his head.

"Excellent. Well, that should be enough to get you started." He wiped a wet hand over his face.

"Started?" she said. More than one word seemed more than she could manage right now. "What… what was that?"

"That was an orgasm, Mazikeen," Lucifer said, straightening up. "They're much more satisfying here than back home. Usually, it's the kind of thing that finishes a chap off, unless of course you're me, but ladies can have them and keep going. Would you like to keep going? If not, I'm up for another round, but I think our friend Secundus would prefer to finish off with you."

"Fucking."

"Yes," Secundus said, stroking her thighs. "I want to fuck you."

She nodded. "Yes. I want to be fucked."

He pushed up out of the pool and sat beside her, pulling her in for another kiss. Then he stood, took her hand and guided her back near the benches. "I think it's only fair that we give them a chance to watch too, don't you?"

"Sure, why not. On my back, right?"

He nodded and took position between her legs. "This might hurt a bit, because it's your first time, but I don't think you mind that, do you?"

"No. I like pain."

"Then I'll try not to be too gentle." He moved over her, one hand on the floor just above her shoulder, the other reaching down to help him find his way. He hesitated. 

"Just get on with it," Maze growled. Then words left her, and there was only feeling. The tiles, hot and hard under her back. The warmth and weight of his body on hers. The deep sense of pressure as he filled her.

She moaned and grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper still. She could feel herself stretching, and it did hurt- just enough to be exciting. She could feel muscles she never thought about before tightening, quivering, trying to suck him in. Her legs curled around his, seeking whatever contact was possible. His mouth found hers and bruised lips pressed together, tongues tumbling over each other. 

She let go of his rear so she could put her arms over his back, feel the strength in his shoulders, and he pulled his hips back, making her whine with the momentary loss of fullness, but then he slammed them forward again, hitting hard and deep. She groaned, her own hips pushing up to meet him.

"Oh, Mazikeen," he breathed, with another hard, deep thrust, "you're so beautiful. So perfect."

She shut him up by kissing him again, but with the rhythm of his hips she had to stop for air. She licked over his jugular, imaging being able to bite into it, blood covering her in a hot shower. She suspected that this was not what Lucifer meant by the right circumstances though.

He caught her eye, and smiled but said nothing. He was sitting on the bench, head on the wall, while Primus knelt in front of him and kissed his cock. It was like he was trying to eat it. It looked fun- not she'd do it on Lucifer himself. He was her King and somehow the idea of coupling with him didn't feel quite right. Watching was okay though. She could learn from him.

Then Secundus bit into her neck and pulled her attention back. She arched under him and he moved to grasp her breast, tugging at her nipple. Every sensation seemed amplified, every touch searing with hidden fire. He worked diligently indeed, taking his cues from her, gradually increasing his pace. Her legs found a home around his waist and it let him plunge deeper still. She felt like she could do this forever, and he never seemed to tire, though both their bodies were slick with sweat.

Every now and then he'd grimace and slow for a moment, breathing deep, but then he would resume, harder, faster. Maze felt that tightening feeling again, and resisted- she wasn't ready to end it yet. But the hunger grew, and the need for release grew more urgent.

She heard Lucifer moaning encouragement to Primus, and turned her head to look. Primus was using his hand now, rubbing Lucifer's cock so quickly it was almost a blur. Lucifer was gripping the stone of the bench hard enough to turn his knuckles white, and then he cried out, loud, exultant, and long threads of white shot out from him. He bucked and relaxed with a sigh, and Primus grew still. 

It occurred to her that was what Secundus wanted to do inside her. Fill her up like he was breeding her. She liked the idea of making him fall apart like that. She stopped resisting. 

Her body tensed, so close. She caught his lips and sucked his tongue and fell back gasping. The slap of skin on skin was loud and quick, but the way he dragged in and out, the push and press of his cock inside her, in that particular place… she felt the first shudder and held on a moment longer. Another few thrusts and she was falling, her body rocked by spasms. She could hear such wonderful screams being torn from her own throat. The intensity subsided, but Secundus was still going, gasping and grunting. It felt incredible. She clamped down around him and his eyes nearly popped out. 

"Yes," she hissed at him, and squeezed again. He stuttered to a halt, and she held him deep, feeling every twitch and pulse inside her as he emptied himself. His shoulders were trembling and he gave the most delightful wail, and then he slowly dropped down on her, boneless. 

Mazikeen laughed.

She felt Secundus wobble and realised he was chuckling too. She poked him in the ribs and he managed to lift his head.

"Hey," she said with a grin. "That was awesome."

"It most certainly was," he agreed. They kissed once more. It was deep, and hungry, but it felt like goodbye. 

"We should probably all get cleaned up and cool down before we head out," Lucifer said. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, and I'm happy that we've all been satisfied, but my demon and I have a party to get to."

"We do? Can we take these two with us?"

"I think they're fully spent, for now, but not to worry. There'll be plenty more treats at the party."

Secundus carefully extracted himself and rose to unsteady feet. She got up quickly and slid back into the pool to get ready. 

She wanted to do it all again.

***

The party was like nothing Mazikeen had ever imagined. It reminded her of massacre, only instead of corpses there was sex. The groans and the screams were the same though. She entertained herself by keeping a body count- six men, both young and old, had spilled their seed over or inside her and now lay languid at the edge of the main room watching others indulge and trying to re-awaken their appetites. She liked the ladies too, and Lucifer was more than happy to tutor her in the arts of sating their needs with what she had. Mazikeen learned quickly and soon had plenty of volunteers to practise on, until she was surrounded by sighing, writhing bodies lacking the wherewithal to stand up and walk away. So she just continued to see how long she could draw out their screams.

It was the sweetest music she had ever heard.

And there was food- such food! So many different flavours and textures, spicy and sweet, crunchy and juicy. And the wine was delicious and lightened her mood.

Lucifer was the main show, though. Everyone wanted a taste of him, and he indulged them all, never tiring, never waning. He was different. Happier than she'd seen him before. And that triggered a new feeling too. Like glad, but aching. She liked it.

There were so many feelings she could barely keep track. She waded through lust and frustration, floated along on bliss, and almost drowned in the sense of satisfaction that others desired her so keenly.

She was bouncing in the lap of a particularly well endowed scribe who promised to immortalise her in poetry- whatever that meant- while several others reclined and watched. With hands gripping his shoulders, she rode him hard until he was wailing and begging for his release. It reminded her of home. She made him come just because she could, and then went to get some more food.

Lucifer had just finished up with a pair of voluptuous ladies and was now lying back while they fed him fruit and sweet delicacies. She watched as one of them teased him, holding a bunch of grapes above his mouth. They were laughing. 

And then they weren't.

It all went strangely quiet, Lucifer's laugh dying out moments after everything else. No-one was moving, or at least not noticeably. 

"We need to move," Lucifer said, suddenly serious and purposeful. He grabbed the nearest couple of garments and threw one at Maze. As she caught it, she noticed that it wasn't just the people that had gone still. Someone was pouring wine into a goblet, except that the liquid wasn't moving.

She wasn't normally one to question, but being on this planet with all its feelings had her in a state of confusion. "What the Hell is happening?"

He was putting on the tunic as he made his way towards the door. "Not Hell. The other place."

She followed, grabbing a blade from the table as she passed it. It was only small, but would do until she had her sharp rock back.

Someone waited for them outside.

He stood with arms crossed over his broad chest, wings gleaming silver and radiating wrath. "Brother," he said with obvious distaste. "How many times must we go through this? It is time for you to return."

"I'm not done having fun yet," Lucifer spat.

"You have an obligation to perform. You shirk your responsibilities in favour of cavorting with these mortals, even though you know it always ends in the same way."

"Yes, but as I said, I'm not ready to go back. So, why don't you pop off somewhere else, and come back in… I don't know, how does three hundred years sound? Good for you?"

"You try my patience!" The angel stepped forward, grabbed Lucifer by the front of his tunic, and pushed him up against the wall. 

"But you've got all the time in the world, brother. You could try out the bathhouse. Get a massage. Live a little."

"I do not consort with these creatures. I remain pure and separate, just as Father ordained."

"Oh, there it is. Wondered how long it would be before that name got dragged into it. You can tell dear old Dad that I don't give a damn. Let Him do His worst. Oh no, wait, He already did." He pushed his brother back and threw a fist which landed on the corner of his mouth. His wings unfurled, illuminating the night. "I'm done with following orders, I have been for a long time. If you want me to go back, you'll have to make me." 

The other being adjusted his stance and it was all the cue that Maze needed. 

She launched herself at him, screeching and raising the knife and bringing it down sharply. It bent on his skin and she tossed it aside. She snarled and let her demon face show.

"Mazikeen!" Lucifer shouted in warning, but she wasn't about to give up so easily. 

The angel blocked her next few punches too easily and threw her to the ground. Lucifer stepped in and the two went for each other, trading blows and growling. Lucifer's wings made excellent shields, while his brother's had edges as sharp as knives. They seemed fairly evenly matched and neither could quite gain an advantage. 

Two against one, then. Maze waited for an opening.

It came when their adversary made the mistake of turning his back to her. She leapt up, catching the top of one of his wings and sinking her teeth into it. The taste of holiness burned her mouth. She bit harder, knowing she'd caught him by surprise, and lifted her feet to kick at him and throw him off balance. He flexed and tried to wriggle free to no avail. When she saw the sharp primaries come within reach she grabbed a handful and pulled.

They dug into her palm and fingers, but held on out of sheer determination and pulled harder. He yelled in shock and pain as they came free.

There was blood on the feathers and it wasn't all from her hand. 

Lucifer seized the chance to get away. He grabbed her wrist and then they were flying, high and fast. Soon enough they were back outside the gates of Hell.

She landed on one knee and he stood before her, folding his wings. 

"I failed you, my Lord," she admitted. 

"What, by not thwarting Amenadiel?" he said lightly. "My brother is as immovable as the pyramids. You did well to draw blood. And I'll never forget the look on his face. Astonished and disgusted. Most entertaining. Bedsides, we would have ended up back here either way. At least this time it was on my own terms. Have you still got those feathers?"

"These?" She held them up. There were four of them. 

"You'll like this. Come with me."

He led her through Hell's labyrinth, and the corridors opened up before the presence of his authority. Down and down they went, each step making him stand taller. His strides were long and purposeful but unhurried. This was his domain.

Whatever traces of relaxation that had lingered from their visit to earth evaporated when they reached the lake of fire. There was a tightness in his jaw, a tension in his shoulders that Maze had always associated with his strength and wrath. Now, as he stared into the glowing pit with the flames reflected in his eyes, it reminded her of something else, a look she had seen in certain souls towards the end of a loop.

But then it was gone and he was all Lucifer again. King of Hell. 

They walked along the shore to a rocky shelter where several demons busied themselves with hammers and anvils, a noisy clattering and chattering in the air as they worked to arm the hordes of the underworld. Not that anyone needed physical tools for torture- the cells provided all that was needed to take care of souls- but there was always a demand for weapons for the demons to use on each other. And Hell-forged steel was always sharper and stronger than anything a human could make.

"Out, all of you," Lucifer barked, and they scurried away without question. He looked around, picking up a few metal rods and finally selecting one that met his satisfaction. He took it to the lake and held it out over the flames, face set and unflinching from the heat, until the tip began to glow. He placed it on the edge of the anvil and went to work hammering it into a flat tapered point, and from there into a wicked looking curve, returning to the fire occasionally as the metal cooled. He continued along to make the handle all on one piece with the blade and cut it from the rod. Heating it once more, he drove a hole into the end with a metal punch and stretched it open, and then took up a more pointed hammer to beat a rough, organic texture into the handle, and a deep groove along the blade.

At last he looked at her and held out his hand. "Give me those feathers."

If anyone else has asked, she would have fought them for it. They were her hard-earned prize, paid for with blood and battle. But Lucifer was her king. She followed him out of respect and devotion, because he had given her everything. She offered them up in sacrifice. 

Placing them carefully to one side, he held the newly forged blade over the flames again and waited until it glowed brighter than ever. Carefully, he placed it back on the anvil and laid one of the four feathers along the groove. He yelled with effort as he swung the hammer driving the feather into the hot metal. Again and again he struck until the metal closed over it. The feather itself seemed impervious to the heat. When he was done he wiped the sweat from his brow and returned it to the flames, then beat a second feather into the other side.

Maze was mesmerised by the whole process. She had never seen him work so hard. His muscles bunched with every strike and gleamed with sweat. His hair, which had been set in tight curls at the bathhouse, now stuck to his brow. There was a sizzling hiss and a cloud of steam as he doused the blade in a bucket of water, and then he set it aside to begin the whole process again with a second rod of steel.

The sound of the hammer rang through the air; the fire roared beside them, always hungry. Even Maze was starting to feel the heat.

At last, Lucifer held up the two curved blades. They glinted in the red light, the pattern of the feathers still clearly visible but now looking like some kind of intricate engraving.

"There. Perhaps some of my finest work. They contain a power that has never before been harnessed in such a fashion. I'm not even sure how powerful they'll be. Certainly they'll be sharp enough and strong enough to cut anything, including my siblings, should the need arise. I am more than impressed with how you handled yourself today. These blades are your reward."

"Thank you, my lord," she said reverently.

"Understand, though, that they are not a gift freely given. You have proven your allegiance to me, and by taking these you vow to continue to serve me, to stand by my side against all the forces of Heaven."

She swallowed. Some of the emotions from their visit to earth seemed to be lingering. Maybe this meant he'd take her back there one day. As her fingers closed over the handle, something seemed to squirm inside her chest like it wanted to break free. He trusted her with this, to be his protector, to fight the angels themselves. It made her eyes leak.

The blades felt right in her hands. They were made for her. They were hers. And she could feel the power within them. 

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be."

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is a prequel to another series, or at least another fic. That one is started but not done yet. Too many WIPs. But coming soon.


End file.
